1. The Potato Eaters (1885)

Wishing to emulate two of the painters whose work he admired, Dutch
painter Jozef Israëls and Jean-François Millet, in 1885 Van Gogh gives
us his take on the peasant theme.

In a letter to his brother Theo Vincent confides: "I wanted to convey
the idea that the people eating potatoes by the light of an oil lamp
used the same hands with which they take food from the plate to work the
land" and that "they have earned their food by honest means".

Van Gogh worked on the painting while in Nuenen, the Netherlands.
After his previous works had been received with reservations by Theo,
Vincent is confident: "I think that the pictures of the peasants eating
potatoes that I painted in Nuenen is the best of all my work."

2. The Bedroom in Arles (1888)

Oil on Canvas, 72x90 cmVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh painted The Bedroom while in Arles, France. Certainly one of
the most well-known paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, it depicts the
interior of his bedroom in the Yellow House. Some of the most striking
features of the painting are the bright and contrasting colors and the
somewhat unusual perspective.

The choice of colors was not arbitrary - instead it was meant to
convey a state of domestic comfort and stability. In Vincent's own
words: "Color must be abundant in this part, its simplification adding a
rank of grandee to the style applied to the objects, getting to suggest
a certain rest or dream ". Van Gogh painted three versions of The
Bedroom.

3. Sunflowers (1889)

Oil on Canvas, 95x73 cmVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The Sunflowers paintings are undoubtedly some of the most famous
paintings by Van Gogh. He painted the series of still lifes (four
paintings) in Arles in August 1889 as a preparation for the visit of his
painter friend Gauguin. Finally only two will be considered worthy to
decorate the room of his friend who had expressed appreciation for an
earlier painting by Van Gogh depicting sunflowers, namely Sunflowers Run
to Seed.

Van Gogh worked frantically on the series of sunflower themed
paintings as he was eager to paint them before they wilted. From a
letter to Theo: "I am working with the enthusiasm of a man from
Marseilles eating bouillabaisse, which shouldn't come as a surprise to
you because I am busy painting huge sunflowers."

4. Wheatfield with crows (1890)

Oil on Canvas, 50.5 x 103 cmVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Wheatfield with crows is one of the last paintings by Vincent van
Gogh. As it was painted in July 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise it was claimed
to be the very last canvas he executed. Additionally, the tempestuous
skies and the cut-off pathway have been hinted at as premonitory symbols
of his approaching end.

All that can be proved though is Van Gogh's intention to convey via
his wheatfield landscapes feelings like grief and sorrow. In a letter
sent from Auvers he writes to his brother Theo: "They depict vast,
distended wheatfields under angry skies, and I deliberately tried to
express sadness and extreme loneliness in them."

5. Irises (1890)

Oil on Canvas, 92x73.5 cmVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

While in the asylum at Saint-Remy, France, Van Gogh overcame a period
of crisis (ending in April 1890). After this, Van Gogh painted two
still lifes for which he used as a model irises he picked up from the
nearby fields.

Set against a complementary yellow background, the purple irises create an unusual effect.

In van Gogh's words, he uses "enormously divergent complementary colors that are exalted by their oppositions".

The other 'Irises' painting by Van Gogh is in the J. Paul Getty
Museum in Los Angeles (and is among the most expensively sold paintings
by Vincent van Gogh).

6. Almond Blossom (1890)

Oil on Canvas, 73.5 x 92 cmVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Almond Blossom too dates from the period Van Gogh spent in
Saint-Remy. Upon hearing the news of the birth of his nephew, his
brother's son, Vincent painted this canvas of blossoming almond branches
set against of a turquoise background. Along with being on of the
favourite subjects of his younger brother, the almond branches were a
symbol of Vincent newly-found tranquility. The painting was a gift from
Vincent for his brother Theo and was meant to be hanged above the
couple's bed.

The technique used in this particular canvas has been influenced by
the Japanese prints Van Gogh had seen while in Antwerp and Paris.

7. Starry Night (1889)

Oil on Canvas, 73.7x92.1 cmMuseum of Modern Art, New York

Starry Night is perhaps the most reproduced of all paintings by
Vincent van Gogh. It was painted while Vincent was staying at an asylum
in Saint-Remy, France.

The bright stars and moon set against a background of swirling clouds
create a unique visual appeal and exude a mood to which many of us can
relate. It has been speculated that the eleven stars that can be
distinguished in the painting are a reminder of Vincent van Gogh's past
as a young man who dreamt of becoming a pastor.

This selection contains only a few of the many paintings by Vincent
van Gogh that have become instantly recognizable to art lovers around
the world. However, despite not being able to sell many paintings during
his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh a very prolific artist. The largest
collection of works by Vincent van Gogh can be visited at the Van Gogh
Museum in Amsterdam.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

With 1.5 million visitors a year, the Van Gogh Museum is Amsterdam's
best visited museum - even before the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank
House.

Nowhere you'll find more of Vincent van Gogh's paintings (around
200) and also his drawings and letters.

It also has a lot of art by his
contemporaries - impressionsts, post-impressionists and other artists
like Gauguin, Monet, Rodin, Denis etc. Additionally, it regularly runs
exhibitions on 19th-century topics.